


Primary Colors

by DeMarcos



Category: Arrow (TV 2012), The Flash (TV 2014)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, Canon-Typical Violence, Emotional Constipation, Jealousy, M/M, Sexual Content, Voyeurism
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-02
Updated: 2017-02-05
Packaged: 2018-09-21 07:17:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 10,971
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9537578
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DeMarcos/pseuds/DeMarcos
Summary: Fed up with Oliver's one-sided definition of a relationship, Barry breaks up with him and takes up with Eddie, who he sees as a better fit for his emotional needs. But Oliver, who cares for Barry more than he realizes, is too stubborn for his own good and refuses to go down without a fight.





	1. Seeing Green

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Pixsystik](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Pixsystik/gifts).



> For my lovely lady of the North, Pixsystik, who cajoled me into this pairing and then bribed me with dolls to add to my vast collection, a collection that is starting to become a little creepy and a bit sad, considering I'm on the wrong side of thirty.

Oliver had never been prone to sharing. From hiding his belongings from Thea’s grubby little fingers when she was younger to keeping pertinent information from Dig and Felicity until he absolutely _had_ to tell them -usually under extreme duress- Oliver wasn’t big on the whole concept of sharing.

Being stuck on Lian Yu had taught him how to function as a team player, when to trust another person with his life or when to keep them at arm’s length until their true motives were revealed, but a few bad habits had stuck with him despite the harsh lessons he’d endured on the island. The more things changed, the more they stayed the same, much to his friends’ unending dismay and frustration.

So when he had gone to Central City to see Barry after spending weeks with little to no contact with him, only to find the man in question in the personal space of some blonde haired, blue eyed suit and tie, doing what Felicity would call the _flirty-flirt_ before realizing it was no time for her jokes, Oliver was suddenly twelve years old again, infuriated to find someone else playing with what was his.

Scowl marring his features, he cut through the midday crowd of Jitters, radiating an anger that had people quickly stepping out of his way. Coming to a halt beside the two of them, Oliver cleared his throat loudly, causing them both to jump in surprise. When Barry clapped eyes on him, he had the good decency to be shamefaced at being caught but recovered after a moment, backing away from other man as though he’d been burnt.

“Oliver! Whaaa-at are you doing here?”

Glaring silently at Barry for a solid minute, Oliver turned his head to stare at the other man, who apparently had no clue that Barry wasn’t up for grabs, going by the flabbergasted expression he was wearing. He addressed Barry while continuing to bore a hole into the man’s head with his steely gaze.

“I had some free time on my hands and thought I’d surprise you by dropping in for a visit. But when I couldn’t find you at the station, I pinged your phone.” God bless Felicity for jailbreaking his phone and installing all sorts of interesting programs on it.

“You- _for real_?” Barry asked, suddenly indignant. “Invasion of privacy much?”

“Why?” Oliver retorted, looking back at Barry with hard eyes. “Worried I’d catch you doing something you shouldn’t?” He paused for a moment, fingers curling into fists so tight, he could feel his blunted nails digging into the skin of his palm. “Or some _one_?”

Barry’s hand shot out to grab his arm, yanking on him hard. Oliver could have fought his hold, planted his feet to prevent Barry from bodily dragging him out the back door of Jitters, but he didn’t. He wanted to confront Barry, not air out their dirty laundry in front of the whole world, so he allowed himself to be dragged. He did, however, growl quietly when Barry called out over his shoulder, almost as if an afterthought, _see you later, Eddie_.

 _Not if I have anything to say about it_ , Oliver groused to himself.

Once outside, Barry blasted them away and between blinks, they were miles away from Jitters, at a secluded portion of the riverside. Oliver could tell the foot traffic here was sparse, even from tourists, the foliage thick and the grass untended, the blades dancing around their ankles. Barry immediately rounded on him, face beet red with anger.

“Dude, what the hell?!”

“I should be asking _you_ that.” Oliver replied with the quiet sort of calm he experienced when he was _truly_ enraged. “What the hell were you doing with that guy, Barry?”

“Having coffee.”

“Oh, is that what the kids are calling it these days? Because to me, it looked like if I hadn’t walked in when I did, you’d be having his-” Oliver cut himself off, knowing if he finished that sentence, he was liable to end up getting slapped. Barry may not have been physically imposing, but the sheer speed behind his blows more than made up for it. Oliver had learned that lesson several times over since the accelerator explosion created the Flash, and he wasn’t too keen on learning it again. Swallowing thickly, he folded his arms over his chest.

“How long have you two been _having coffee_?”

Barry snorted derisively, shaking his head at Oliver’s defensive stance. He normally wasn’t so confrontational or glib, preferring to keep a calm head in matters such as this, but he’d truly had it with Oliver and his attitude. “Jealousy is _not_ a good look for you. Not that you have any _right_ to be jealous.”

That threw Oliver off balance and he furrowed his brow in confusion. “Excuse me?”

“You heard me. You don’t have any right to be jealous of what I do, or who I do it with.”

“Since when?”

“Oh, I don’t know, since I haven’t seen or heard from you in _weeks_. So I figured if you couldn’t make time for me, not even to send me a simple text message, then I could make time with someone else.”

Oliver scowled, feeling his heart clench in his chest. “You’re sleeping with him?” He asked, voice a deadly whisper.

“ _No_.” Barry said emphatically, almost offended Oliver would even suggest such a thing. “But it’s nice to have someone around who can pencil me into their life more than once a month.”

Relaxing a bit at the knowledge that Barry hadn’t gone so far as to sleep around behind his back, Oliver sighed. “You _know_ it’s not that easy, Barry, given what we both do. We both have responsibilities and sometimes, we have to make sacrifices in our personal lives to make sure those responsibilities are met.”

“Don’t lecture me on responsibility, okay, I’m well aware of what has to be done, and I do it, no questions asked. But I also know that it’s always on _me_ to keep this relationship afloat. _I’m_ the one that has to do all the traveling to see you when you finally remember I even exist, since it’s more convenient for you, and the minute something explodes in Starling, I’m the one left hanging with _sorry, Barry, maybe next time_. This _relationship_ ,” Barry made air quotes with his fingers, “is so ridiculously one-sided and I’m tired of it. I’m tired of being second in your life. And at least Eddie is there for me when I need him, and I can be there for him. All while keeping the city safe, all while keeping my friends safe, which is something apparently neither of us can do if we’re together.”

“So that’s it? I don’t even get a say, I don’t get a chance to redeem myself, or, I don’t know, make the effort to change, you’re just… making an executive decision.”

“That’s just it, Oliver, you _never_ change. You promised you’d tried to come to Central City more often.”

“I-”

Barry cut him off before he had a chance to defend himself. “You promised you’d let Dig and Thea and everyone else patrol Starling for a few nights a week, so we could have some quality time together, uninterrupted.”

“That-”

“You promised you’d make time to help train me, so I could hold my own in a fight, instead of just relying on my speed, but that never happened.”

“Barry-

”Nothing you promised me has _ever_ happened.” Barry deflated and he scrubbed at his face with a hand, shoulders slumped in defeat. “I’m tired of going to bed at night with nothing but your broken promises.” He said bitterly.

Anger dissipating at seeing how much pain Barry was feeling, Oliver closed the distance between them, arms circling around his narrow waist to embrace him. He managed to smile when he felt Barry hug him back, albeit reluctantly, sense memory taking over, and Oliver placed a kiss to his temple. “I’m sorry, okay?” He whispered hoarsely. “I’m sorry I’ve not been a good boyfriend, and I’m sorry I hurt you. I just get... so focused sometimes, and it gives me tunnel vision. But you’ve got to know how much I care about you.”

Being in their current position spoke volumes about how much Oliver cared. It wasn’t often he let people get this close, let them get under his skin and make him crazy with emotion, no matter how outwardly unexpressed they went. Barry had done something no one else had done since he’d met Laurel, getting him to open his heart up, to allow himself to feel something other than just his baser urges. When he was with Barry, Oliver could be himself, who he truly was, underneath the emotional trauma and baggage and the darkness that pressed upon the periphery of his everyday life.

“I _know_ you care.” Barry said into his neck, before slowly pulling away to look Oliver in the eye. “But I also know how much you care about being the Arrow.” It was a low blow and Barry knew it, without having to see the anguished expression on Oliver’s face when he said it.

“I care about being the Flash, but I don’t let it rule my life. I have my job, I have my friends and family, and now I have Eddie, and I can have them all while still protecting this city. If I can have that, then so can you. But you refuse to try and I can’t be with someone who won’t even try to be with me. I’m sorry it had to be this way, Oliver, I really am, but honestly? You brought it on yourself.”

Barry turned to leave but Oliver quickly reached out, grabbing his wrist to prevent him from blasting off. He yanked Barry toward him, wrapping his arms around him once more, only this time, Oliver pulled him into a bruising kiss. He had to remind Barry, remind _himself_ , exactly what they had together, and why it was worth fighting for. He could feel Barry fighting against the hold, before melting into it, kissing him back hungrily, and hope burst in Oliver’s chest.

For several wonderfully long minutes, Oliver’s world narrowed down to teeth and tongues. Pawing hands and hot breaths, whimpered pleas for _more, yes, oh God, Oliver_. Pressing the advantage, Oliver picked him up and swung him around, aiming for the soft bed of grass at their feet. Five years on Lian Yu had given him a keen awareness when surrounded by forest, and he knew that not only were they alone, but that they were also out of sight.

He eagerly swallowed Barry’s cries of pleasure, kissing him within an inch of his life as he went deeper and deeper, tangling their tongues, lips swollen from the fierceness of it. Oliver snaked a hand between them, deftly popping Barry’s jeans open to reach in and claim his prize.

Fingers wrapping around his length, Oliver gave it a languorous tug, hilt to tip. Barry broke the kiss to tilt his head back into the dirt, a filthy moan escaping his throat as he arched up off the ground. Barry’s hands clawed at his back, nails digging into his skin even through the fabric of his shirt, making Oliver hiss and shiver. He bent down to lick a wet stripe up Barry’s long neck, teasing him mercilessly with his fingers.

“You want this?” Oliver asked, teeth nipping at sensitive skin. “Say the word and I’ll give it to you.” He grinned lasciviously at the idea, tongue tracing the bulge of Barry’s adam’s apple. “Unless you’d rather go back to your place…”

Suddenly, Oliver found himself face down in the dirt. He spun around to find Barry standing over him, a look of regret on his reddened face as he tucked his straining erection back into his jeans. He cursed himself for not keeping his mouth shut, for not just letting Barry drown in the throes of ecstasy, for giving him a moment to realize what had led them to the intimate moment they’d just been sharing.

“I can’t.” He said breathlessly. “God, I _want_ to, but I can’t. Because I know what will happen. We’ll have fantastic sex and by tomorrow, you’ll be gone, and we’ll go right back to how things were.” Ashamed at allowing himself to be overtaken by his desires, Barry glanced away from Oliver, eyes back toward the city.

Oliver could already see him preparing to run off. “Barry, I’m-”

There was no use trying to talk sense into him,  he was already gone. Oliver angrily beat a fist into the dirt, not certain whether to blame Barry or himself for what had happened. He was pissed that Barry had chosen to leave him this way, but he was more pissed at himself for pushing Barry into doing it in the first place.

 

* * *

 

A few nights later, Oliver found himself camped out on a darkened rooftop, the cool evening air rustling the leather of his hood. The sounds of the city surrounded him, cars driving along the road, the distant sound of a siren, people on the street below laughing and fighting, but for once, his focus was elsewhere.

His eyes never strayed from the scene in the window of the building across from his perch. It never ceased to amaze him how people assumed that once they were high up, they were safe from prying eyes, though tonight, he was glad for that hubris. Or sickened by it, given what he was watching.

Oliver felt no guilt in tailing Barry as he’d gone out on his date with Eddie, desperate to know what it was about the man that Barry found so intriguing, intriguing enough to tempt him into straying. Eddie seemed so normal, so unrelentingly average and so unlike Barry in every way. Even before his accident, Barry sought out the strange and bizarre, the extraordinary, which was what had drawn him to Oliver in the first place. And after the accident, when Barry had become the extraordinary, Oliver had found in him an equal, someone who could understand the not-so-normal life he’d chosen to live.

 _Didn’t stop him from wanting a normal relationship, or a normal boyfriend_ , Oliver thought sourly, _all things you couldn’t give him_. _Things that Eddie is more than willing to give him_. And give them to Barry he did.

Oliver had followed them to a restaurant, anxiously counting down the minutes until they reappeared in the parking lot, laughing and holding hands. Gritting his teeth, he’d kept to the shadows as they took a walk along the river towpath, their feet carrying them inexorably toward their final destination. Oliver didn’t recognize the towering apartment complex and assumed that they’d gone to Eddie’s place. They disappeared inside and it took him nearly a half hour to figure out which unit Eddie lived in, as well as find a lookout with an unobstructed view inside.

He almost wished he hadn’t found it. But with morbid fascination, Oliver watched everything, as punishment for his failings.  

They started on the couch, Barry stretched out underneath Eddie as they leisurely made out, obviously in no hurry to rush to the main event. Bit by bit, articles of clothing fell away, mouths and fingers exploring each new expanse of skin revealed, discovering what would make each other shudder, make them moan.

Then, Barry planted a hand on Eddie’s chest, pushing him up and off of him, until he was seated upright. Moving to the floor, Barry positioned himself between Eddie’s legs. The angle blocked Oliver’s view but there was no mistaking the bob of his head, up and down, slowly at first, then speeding up. Shaking, Eddie buried a hand in Barry’s dark hair, guiding his movements before lifting his head up. They spoke for a minute, Eddie caressing Barry’s face all the while, before they both stood up.

Oliver had to move across the rooftop to get a better view as they headed into the bedroom, not wanting to see what came next, but not wanting to miss a moment, either. It was self-flagellation at its worst, seeing what his actions -or inaction- had led Barry to.

Eddie laid Barry out on the bed, fingers dancing along his skin as he stood above him, marveling at the treasure he had before him. Leaning down, he kissed Barry passionately. Barry responded by arching off the bed, seeking out more of him, a hand coming up to cup the back of Eddie’s neck. Eddie broke away, saying something that made Barry laugh, his grin bright, even from a distance.

Finally, Eddie reached under the bed, pulling out a small plastic bin to retrieve a few items from it. The small item he tossed onto the mattress, the other he kept firmly in hand as he kicked the bin back under the bed. He motioned to Barry, who scooted his butt toward the edge of the bed. Once in place, Eddie knelt on the floor, grabbing Barry’s feet to place them on his shoulders. Popping open the bottle in his hand, he coated his fingers with lube before placing the bottle beside him on the carpet.

For the next several minutes, Oliver watched as Eddie sucked Barry off with naked hunger as he worked Barry open, three fingers deep when Barry’s back bowed, eyes tightening with pleasure as he neared orgasm. That was when Eddie lifted off him, carefully removing his fingers. Crawling onto the bed, Eddie attacked his mouth once more, devouring him, making him writhe. Barry clutched at him, legs wrapping around his waist, inviting him in, begging him to finish what he had started.

Eddie’s fingers snaked down Barry’s sides and suddenly, the kiss was broken, Barry’s head tipped back in laughter. He batted Eddie’s hands away, but once Eddie discovered he was ticklish, there was no stopping him. They rolled around on the mattress, Eddie refusing to relent as Barry tried to get away.

Oliver couldn’t recall ever doing such a thing with him. He didn’t even know Barry was ticklish. Sure, he had fun with Barry, tracking down criminals, trading witty quips and flirty banter with one another over the comms, but their intimate encounters had always been more single-minded, carnal, a battle in its own right. But they had fun, right? They had both always been satisfied. _Maybe Barry didn’t want to just be satisfied. Maybe he wanted to be_ fulfilled.

He realized he wasn’t paying attention and Oliver shook those thoughts away, gaze finding the bedroom window once more. He gasped at what he saw. During his self-recriminations, the roughhousing had stopped and Eddie was beneath Barry, who was riding him with sinuous rolls of his hips. Leaning back, the long expanse of his neck exposed, Barry braced his hands on Eddie’s calves, trying to find that perfect angle to get Eddie deeper and deeper inside of him.

Oliver’s body reacted traitorously, groin swelling against the inseam of his leather pants. Despite what he was seeing, it was still Barry, and Oliver couldn’t stop from responding to him. He had to run through a number of mental exercises to distract himself as the two of them switched positions, Barry’s face in the pillows, ass in the air as Eddie pounded into him with quick, unforgiving thrusts. The exercises weren’t working and left with no other choice, Oliver pressed himself into the cold bricks of the rooftop, hoping the extreme temperature change would cool him off.

It took some time, but eventually it worked, his throbbing erection no more than a waning annoyance. By that point, things had slowed down in the bedroom, Eddie atop Barry once more, tenderly mouthing at his neck, hips moving in a gentle glide as his fingers worked Barry over _. From sex to fucking to lovemaking, all in one go. I’ve never made love to Barry, not in all the months we’ve been together. I can’t remember the last time I made love to_ anyone _. Laurel, maybe, before the Gambit_. _Am I even capable anymore_ ? _Can I even properly explain to him how much I care_?

They had finished, both of them lying on their backs as they gasped for breath and Oliver carefully studied Barry’s face, the lax, pleasured expression he wore. He shouldn’t have been spying on them, he knew how wrong it was, but he couldn’t help it.

Everyone had kept reminding him that he hadn’t seen Barry in quite a while, Felicity and Thea reminding him that he actually existed and probably wanted to see him. Dig had just rolled his eyes as the girls gave him relationship advice, knowing him well enough to know it was most likely going in one ear and right out the other. He’d been well aware of how many times he’d canceled on Barry, how many times his work came before his boyfriend, but he always swore to himself that he’d make it up to him, that he’d make the time to put Barry first. Unfortunately, life never worked out the way he wanted it to.

After much hemming and hawing -and no small amount of guilt tripping from Felicity- worried what would happen if he left, he’d finally agreed to take some time off, leaving the well-being of Starling in the hands of his friends and teammates. Oliver had planned on spending every day with Barry, maybe training, maybe just relaxing, maybe whiling away the hours in bed together, dutifully making up for all the time they’d lost. But with his phone still close by his side, in case his friends needed him.

Oliver groaned with cold realization. He’d come to Central City to live up to his word, to keep his promises, but he’d been too late. And he had no one to blame but himself.

Burning with jealousy, he stared at Barry, at the tiny, private smile he was wearing as Eddie spoke to him. The smile that had once been meant only for him. Suddenly, a rage boiled up inside Oliver and he balled his hands into fists. No, it _wasn’t_ too late. He’d never been one to just _give up_ on something. Even as a stupidly selfish brat who couldn’t kill anything to keep himself alive on a mostly deserted island, he’d refused to give up and just die, finding creative ways to solve his problems.

That mindset had kept him alive and fighting for years, and now, of all times, he refused to let Barry go without a fighting for him.

Plucking his phone out from where he’d stashed it in what precious space he had in his suit, Oliver pulled a glove off with his teeth and began typing out a message. Hitting send, his eyes went back to the windows. He saw Barry lift his head up to look around as his phone chirped, groaning when he realized it was still in his pants pocket. In the living room. Given both his jobs, Oliver knew he wouldn’t ignore it and sure enough, after a second, Barry got up to go and retrieve it.

Phone in hand, Barry read the message, brow furrowed before he whipped his head up, squinting out the window into the darkness. His eyes searched the skyline, but he saw nothing. Oliver, however, saw the coy smile spread across Barry’s face, and that alone gave him hope.

 _I’m not letting go of you that easy, Barry. I don’t care what you’ve done or who you’ve slept with. I only care about you. More than I care about being the Arrow. Even if I fail in winning you back, I’ll still never give up, not even as I take my last breath. Watch your back, Flash. I’m coming for you_.


	2. Burning Blue

Shifting gears, Eddie raced through the streets, the police band overrun with callouts as the city descended into utter chaos. He’d been running around for hours, him and his fellow officers, trying to contain the madness as best they could, not that they’d had much luck.

Even with Barry out doing his thing, blasting from one crime scene to another to stop civilians from getting hurt and take out the bad guys, he was only one man.

Someone had brought down one of the walls of Iron Heights, leaving a gaping hole in the building, and the prisoners had wasted no time in escaping. Sensing they only had a brief window of freedom, they’d gone about causing as much chaos as possible. And with blood in the water, every two-bit crook and criminal who’d been lucky enough to avoid being captured had joined the fray, along with a fair share of the metas that had so far kept their powers to themselves.

Central City had become a free-for-all. Singh and the mayor had made the call to the National Guard before it became a literal war zone, but mobilizing them took time, and until they showed up, the police were on their own.

Stomping his foot on the brake, the tires screeched along the pavement for a long moment until the SUV came to a stop. Eddie hopped out, slamming the door shut behind him before reaching for his holster. Drawing his weapon, he angled the barrel toward the ground as he made his way down the alley separating the rows of houses on what was usually a quiet block.

He could hear the screams under the cacophony of jubilant shouting, the meaty sound of knuckles hitting flesh, followed by derisive laughter. There had been numerous reports of break-ins and assaults in the area, residents being dragged into the streets to be beaten while their belongings were destroyed. An orange glow illuminated a portion of the alley, and as Eddie approached, he could see someone had lit a car on fire.

Swallowing thickly, Eddie followed the sickening sounds of violence, the adrenaline rush of an impending confrontation make his blood pound in his ears. Under normal circumstances, he’d just perform reconnaissance, determining how many perps were on the scene while he waited for backup. With that information, they’d all decide the best course action, entry points, how to separate civilians from hostile targets, and cordon off the area to catch any runners.

Unfortunately, his only backup was the revolver strapped to his ankle. He’d have to go slowly, picking off and subduing the targets one by one, until they were all accounted for and the situation was contained. Eddie edged along a fence, peering around a tall, wooden gate that had been busted open.

In the backyard, he spied four men in torn Iron Heights jumpsuits, a woman cowering in the grass with her three children in her arms, all of them watching as two men held her bloodied husband by the arms, a third man working him over with sadistic glee. He’d seen it before, convicts seeking out revenge on the people who’d sent them to prison. Jurors, prosecutors, the attorneys who’d failed to get them off, even the victims themselves, just for testifying against them. If he wanted to de-escalate the situation, he’d have to play this smart, otherwise he’d get everyone killed.

_Click._

“Wrong place, wrong time, pig.”

Cold metal pressed against the back of his skull and Eddie knew he was dead. There was no way he could swing around to disarm the man behind him, not when he had a round chambered and the hammer pulled back.

“ _Wait_. You don’t have to-”

The barrel of the gun dug harder into his skin, effectively shutting Eddie up. Apparently he wasn’t going to be able to talk his way out of a bullet. He inhaled what was quite possibly his last breath.

 _Thwick_.

 _Thud_.

His whole body tensed up, waiting for the pain, but nothing happened. The car fire kept burning and he kept breathing. Quickly spinning around, he saw the man that had almost killed him unconscious on the ground, an arrow sticking out of his shoulder. Eddie let out a shuddering breath, the realization of what had almost happened sending shockwaves up his spine. He was beyond lucky that he hadn’t pulled the trigger out of reflex after being hit.

 _Thwick. Thwick. Thwick. Thwick_.

The woman in the backyard screamed, her children crying out. Several seconds later, her, the kids, and her bloodied husband poured into the alley, running for dear life. From the backyard, there was shouting and cursing. Peeking into the yard, Eddie saw the convicts writhing around, clutching their wounds in agony.

Registering another presence out of the corner of his eye, he immediately brought his gun to bear, training quickly kicking back in. Against the orange blaze of the car fire, a hooded figure stood before him, bow in hand. Quickly putting two and two together, Eddie lowered his weapon. Starling City still had an arrest on sight order out for its resident vigilante, but considering that he’d just saved his life, Eddie was remiss to actually follow through.

The Arrow closed the distance between them with carefully measured steps, as if waiting for him to change his mind and raise his weapon once more.

“Are you all right, detective?” The Arrow asked, his voice artificially deepened and distorted by what Eddie guessed was a modulator hidden somewhere on his body.

“Yeah, I’ll live. Thanks to you.”

The Arrow suddenly stopped his approach and Eddie could feel those hidden eyes boring into him, judging him. There was a sudden burst of bright amber lightning that lit up the alley and Barry appeared in front of them, worry marring his features, even under the mask. Eddie watched as his eyes widened, glancing between him and the Arrow like a deer caught in the headlights.

“Uh… what’s going on?” Barry asked hesitatingly, unconsciously flexing his fingers, as if mentally preparing for a physical confrontation. “What are you doing here?”

“Working.” The Arrow shifted his stance, pointing to the guy on the ground, passed out from the shock of taking an arrow to the shoulder. “Thought you could use some help.”

“Oh.” Barry said, deflating. He straightened up, dropping his defensive posture. “You heard what happened.”

“Hard to miss.” He replied, the sardonic tone apparent even with his altered voice.

Barry nodded in agreement, his eyes sliding over to Eddie. “You okay?”

“Yeah, I’m fine.” He rubbed at the back of his neck, where he could still feel the phantom sensation of the gun pressed against it. “Good thing he was here.” Eddie said, tipping his head to the side to indicate the Arrow. He then looked at him askance, an inquisitive expression on his face. “What _are_ you doing here? I thought Starling got his just as hard by the escaped prisoners.”

“We did. But I have a team to back me up, Barry doesn’t, so I thought I'd come lend a hand.”

“I _do_ have a team. You’ve _met_ them. Cisco won a bet because of you.”

“A team to back me up in the field.” The Arrow replied sternly. “To help me in a fight, not just give me directions.”

There was a high-pitched whine, loud enough to make Barry and Eddie flinch as the Arrow hissed in pain, clapping a hand to his ear. After a few seconds, the whine stopped. The Arrow turned around, muttering curses under his breath. Eddie realized the noise had come from an earpiece, the person on the other end apparently not happy with what they had heard. Glancing over, Eddie saw Barry wearing a shit-eating grin.

When the Arrow finished his brief yet terse conversation with his auditory attacker and turned back to them, Barry outright laughed at him.

“Serves you right.” He taunted childishly.

Eddie would have sworn that all the shadows in the alley darkened with the scowl that crossed the Arrow’s barely visible face.

“ _The point is_ … Starling City is covered. And I thought you would appreciate some help here.”

Barry squared his shoulders defiantly, posturing to save face. “Well, we’ve been doing a damn good job so far without you…” Even Eddie didn’t believe the false bravado in Barry’s voice and it was apparent neither did the Arrow.

He gave the alley a once over, the silence filled by distant gunshots, screaming, and the squeal of tires on pavement. _“Obviously_.”

The two of them started bickering, but Eddie couldn’t really focus on a single thing they were saying to one another. He’d heard the Arrow refer to Barry by his name, his _real_ name, and with no small amount of familiarity. He knew who Cisco was, and Barry knew who was on the other end of the Arrow’s comm link. _Of course Barry knows him_ , he thought wryly as he watched them, cursing himself for not realizing it sooner, _no way all the masks running around don’t know each other… but like hell they’re gonna have some territorial pissing contest tonight, of_ all _nights_.

“Hey!” He shouted over their loud arguing. They both immediately stopped, turning to look at him as if they’d forgotten he was even there. “Time and a place, guys! How about we have the dick measuring contest _after_ we keep the city from burning to the ground?”

Barry threw the Arrow a scathing glare, taking a step back to put some space between them. Holstering his weapon, Eddie tipped his head toward the house he’d been scoping out. “Four more bad guys for the holding cell.”

Nodding, Barry held up a finger, silently asking them to give him a moment before blasting into the yard.

Placing his hands on his hips, Eddie gave the Arrow an appraising look. “It’s gonna take him a few trips to get them all rounded up. Plus any detours on his way to stop the rest of the mayhem. You have a plan or have you been playing it by ear?”

The Arrow raised his arm, clipping the bow onto his back to free up his hands before fixing him with that piercing gaze once more. Eddie got the distinct sensation that the Arrow was trying to figure him out, but he wasn’t sure why.

“With this amount of unrest, planning becomes moot. We should work with the rest of the police and follow behind their grid-by-grid patrols, to catch any stragglers that managed to slip through their net.”

Eddie winced. “Been a little too hectic for that. We’ve mostly been putting out fires as they crop up. Literally _and_ figuratively.” When the Arrow groaned in frustration, Eddie quickly backpedaled. “I’ll get on the radio and tell my captain to initiate a standard search pattern for all available officers and volunteers, and to get a hold of the state patrol to put up roadblocks on all the roads in and out of the city, if they haven’t already.”

“Put a priority on the escaped prisoners, serious offenders, and any metas that attack them. At this point, petty crimes and looting are the least of our worries, until we get the problem contained.”

Grabbing the radio off his belt, Eddie immediately called in to Singh, relaying that they had some outside assistance and that they should begin grid-by-grid patrols. Barry reappeared in the alley as they were coordinating on a new base of operations, the local jail, which was just a few blocks away from the precinct. Eyeing Barry, an idea popped into Eddie’s head.

“Get a hold of Cisco Ramon and pair him with the meta human task force. We’ll need him and his Boot to help contain the metas we find.”

“ _Good thinking, detective. All teams, switch to channel fifty-five for new callouts and commands. Over and out_.”

Clipping the radio back onto his belt, Eddie glanced between Barry and the Arrow. “The five hundred block starts at the other end of this alley. We should start there are make our way east, back toward the center of the city.”

“Right,” Barry agreed with a nod, “I’ll scout ahead.”

“I’ll take to the rooftops.” The Arrow said and without further ado, he jumped up, catching the edge of low-hanging garage roof, levering himself on top of it with ease. Within seconds, he’d disappeared from sight.

“Guess I’ll take the surface streets.” Eddie said as an afterthought, making Barry laugh.

“Don’t worry, we’ll have your back.” He closed the distance between them to plant a soft peck on Eddie’s cheek.

“And afterward, we’re gonna have to have a little talk. About you and the Arrow.”

“Aw, you jealous?” Barry teased in a singsong voice.

“Should I be?” Eddie asked seriously. “Because you two fight like an old married couple.”

Even under the mask and the cover of night, he saw Barry blush. The sight of it set Eddie’s teeth on edge, but now wasn’t the time to worry about Barry’s past with the vigilante. He waved his hand, motioning for Barry to leave. “Just go, kick some ass, and we’ll talk later.”

They parted ways, Eddie heading toward the other end of the alley to retrieve his SUV. He started it up and rolled down the windows. Driving toward the five hundred block, he made his way slowly up and down the streets, keeping an ear out for any disturbances. He saw a few people peeking out the windows of their houses, checking to see if it was safe, but Eddie had a feeling that it would take all night to secure the city and restore law and order.

Taking a right turn, he went up the block, the needle of the odometer barely hitting five miles per hour. Everything seemed calm and Eddie wondered if except for the cons back in the alley, the escapees had mostly left the suburbs alone, in favor of wreaking havoc in the city proper, or just getting out of dodge altogether.

He heard glass shattering over the hum of the engine. Quickly hitting the brakes, Eddie put the car in park and all but tumbled out of the vehicle in his rush to where he’d heard the noise.

On the other side of the trees sat a small corner convenience store, the dull yellow sodium glow of the streetlight illuminating the broken glass of the display windows. In the parking lot, Eddie spied a tall, thin man in a hoodie, towering over the Arrow, who’d been thrown to the ground. The man was holding out his hand, and try though he might, the Arrow struggled to pick himself up. With a wave of his hand, the man sent the Arrows quiver flying across the pavement, far out of his reach.

Eddie fished his phone out of his pocket, dialing the number he knew would be patched right into the headset of Barry’s suit. When it connected, Eddie kept his voice low. “We got a meta at the E-Z Mart on Morrison street. The Arrow is pinned down.”

“I’m at the precinct but I’m on my way.”

Disconnecting, Eddie put his phone away and unholstered his weapon, eyes on the scene before him. He had no idea what Barry had encountered that had him all the way downtown dropping off more perps, but he didn’t think he’d be back in time. The man had his hand curled into a fist and the Arrow clawed at his own throat desperately, gasping for air.

 _Oh, hell no_ , Eddie thought. Rushing out from behind the building, Eddie raised his weapon, pointing it at the thin man. “Hey, Darth Vader!” The sound of the hammer being pulled back echoed across the lot. It had the intended effect of pulling the man’s attention off the Arrow and onto him. His plan hadn’t gone much farther than that, but he was always good at thinking on his feet. “Interlock your fingers behind your head and get on your knees!”

The man spun around to stare at him, but with the crappy lightning, Eddie couldn’t see a face under the hood. It was a little disconcerting, looking into a black hole, but Eddie didn’t let himself get shaken by it. He took a step forward, jabbing the gun in the air in a show of force. “I said on your knees, dirtbag!”

In the blink of an eye, the gun had been dislodged from his hands and sent skittering across the pavement. Before he even had a chance to see where it landed, an invisible force pressed against his chest, knocking the air right from his lungs. Reeling, Eddie landed on his ass and let out a grunt of pain. He lifted his head up just in time to see the thin man come toward him menacingly, only to crumple to the ground in a heap.

Behind him stood the Arrow, bow in hand. He’d been cold-cocked with it and knocked unconscious with a single blow. Eddie barely had time to be impressed with the sheer strength it must have taken to subdue him before a gloved hand was unceremoniously shoved in his face. The Arrow was offering him a hand up. Eddie took it without a word, pushing himself up as the Arrow pulled.

“Thanks.” Eddie said gratefully, dusting himself off once he was upright.

The Arrow scoffed. “I should be thanking _you_. I had him pegged as just another looter, not a psychokinetic meta.”

“Yeah, they never look like trouble. Until they _do_.” He looked down at the thin man and found it was just some guy, maybe a few years out of his teens, a shock of blonde hair that probably made him look younger than he really was. Eddie wondered why he was using his powers to break into stores, instead of helping people like Barry was.

He gave his head a shake and tossed the Arrow a grin. “Guess we’re even now.” When the Arrow didn’t respond, Eddie’s smile faltered. “You know, from earlier. The guy with the gun.”

“Oh, I remember. I’m just surprised you put yourself in danger like that, after seeing what he could do.”

“It’s my job.” Eddie said with a casual shrug. “Serve and protect. Even the lawless vigilantes.” He could feel those unseen eyes boring into him and Eddie once more got the feeling that he was being sized up. “ _What_? Why do you keep looking at me like that?”

“Most people aren’t so magnanimous when it comes to dealing with their partner’s ex.”

Eddie blinked. “Their _what_?!”

In that moment, Barry chose to make his appearance, the parking lot crackling with lightning as a gust of wind blew over them. He glanced down at the unconscious man and let out a laugh. “Having fun without me?”

“You used to date the Arrow?!” Eddie shouted, his eyes blown wide in shock. His head snapped around to the hooded figure beside him, his mind connecting the dots to the first and last time he ever saw Barry’s ex. “My god… you’re Oliver Queen!”

“You wanna say that a little louder, I don’t think the whole neighborhood heard you!” Barry hissed, waving his hands around to get him to lower his voice.

“You didn’t tell him?” Oliver said, disbelief coloring his artificially deepened voice. This whole time, he’d been operating under the notion that Barry had told Eddie about their relationship. It was why he’d been surprised when Eddie hadn’t tried any macho posturing, going for polite and professional instead.

“I remember you being pretty damn pissed off when _I_ was told who you were, so I figured you didn’t want your identity being broadcasted!

Oliver was appreciative of that fact, but it only led to more questions than answers. It had been several weeks since Barry had left him, but not enough time for him to get _that_ involved with Eddie. “But you were comfortable enough telling him everything else? Who you were, about your powers?”

Sure, he’d been keeping tabs on them when he could, but he’d not resorted to bugging them to listen in on their conversations. He wasn’t a stalker, he was just… _concerned_. But when he’d called out Barry by name and Eddie hadn’t flinched, he knew then that Barry had let him in on his moonlighting activities, which is why he’d assumed Eddie knew about their past relationship.

“I’m not like you, Oliver. I don’t just _take, take, take_ , without giving anything back. I don’t like keeping secrets from people, and I _don’t_ like to close myself off from the people I _claim_ to care about. Better they know the truth so they can be prepared, instead of being blindsided.”

Oliver ignored the whispered _ooh, burn_ in his earpiece and turned his head away angrily. That had hurt. Of all the people he expected to understand why he did the things he did, he thought Barry, who was in the exact same situation he was, knew better than anyone what it was like to carry the mantle _and_ the burden of being a protector.

“That’s not fair, Barry.” Oliver snapped, angrily clipping his bow onto his back. “You know what I’ve been through, the things I’ve had to do-”

“Yes, I _do_ know, and yes, it sucks, the things you’ve seen, the loved ones you’ve lost, but it’s no excuse for using all of that as a crutch! I’ve lost people, too, Oliver, but I don’t allow it to make me miserable, to make _others_ miserable. I don’t use my losses to keep everyone at arm’s length, or to take advantage of them until it’s no longer _convenient_ for me. And that’s all I ever was to you… convenient.”

Feeling like he’d been punched in the gut, Oliver stared at Barry like he was seeing him for the first time. Is that what he really thought of him? Of their relationship? _Not like I ever did anything to dissuade him of the notion. We fought crime and we had sex_. Not exactly a healthy foundation for anyone, even for people in their line of work. Dig, Thea, even Felicity, despite the work, they had lives, relationships, families. All he had was secrets and Barry’s number on speed dial, whenever he needed to blow off steam.

His eyes slid over to Eddie, who was standing silently beside Barry, not daring to add his two cents to their argument, but ready to step in if things got too heated, to protect his boyfriend, if it came down to it. Oliver _really_ looked at him, seeing him, too, for the first time that night.

Since Barry had left him, Oliver had seen Eddie as competition, as a challenge to be overcome, an opponent that needed to be defeated and broken before reclaiming what was rightfully his. But had he ever truly been his to claim? Oliver had seen Barry’s obvious infatuation and…

Oliver cursed quietly under his breath. He _had_ taken advantage of Barry, in a sense. He didn’t have a lot of options in his dating pool, and along had come Barry, who’d been thrust into the same situation he was, determined to use his abilities to right the wrongs in their cities. It _had_ been convenient for him, using the hand they’d both been dealt as a means for release. But he hadn’t given Barry anything in return for what he’d taken, expecting him to be faithful, to be his, when Oliver was only faithful to the job. It took precedence over everything else, even his own happiness, which Barry had nearly bent over backwards in trying to provide for him, only to have it repaid in half-hearted efforts and broken promises.

It wasn’t that he didn’t care about Barry, because he did. He’d gone from an overeager kid to becoming a beloved symbol of Central City, and Oliver had been there to witness that metamorphosis firsthand. He’d guided Barry, teaching him the basics of fighting to keep him alive when his speed wouldn’t help him. Seeing his innocent fascination with the world, with the strange and impossible, it had rekindled something in Oliver that he’d thought was long gone. But the darkness had proven to be stronger than Barry’s light, keeping him from getting closer, from getting too attached, from letting him in completely, even when he’d expected Barry to remain at his side without complaint.

Eddie, however, he’d stepped up to pick up where Oliver had been slacking, giving Barry exactly what he needed. Stability, trust, and going by the burning in his too bright eyes, love. Together, they were able to do the work that needed to be done, fighting side by side every step of the way. With the distance that laid between him and Barry, both literally and figuratively, he could never hope to give Barry what he needed, what he _deserved_ , not truly.

The truth of the realization hurt, and Oliver curled his fists against it, the leather of his gloves creaking loudly in the silence that had stretched between them. He couldn’t face his own shortcomings, thrown into sharp relief by words that cut him to the core, so he did the only thing he was good at. He deflected.

“We don’t have time for this right now. We need to get this guy in jail,” Oliver pointed to the thin man still lying prone on the concrete, “and get the city back under control.”

Barry snorted derisively and shook his head. “Right.” He muttered, as if he expected any different from Oliver. Walking over to the meta, he picked him up and was gone in a flash of light, leaving Oliver standing there awkwardly with Eddie.

He felt he had to say something, to redeem himself in some way, to make Eddie understand that he’d not done any of this on purpose. That he wasn’t _that_ kind of man. “I never meant to hurt him… not intentionally. It just…”

“That’s just it, isn’t it?” Eddie said, turning on his heel to retrieve his gun from where the meta had knocked it away. “We never _mean_ to hurt the ones we love. Yet we still do.” Checking his piece for damage and making sure the safety was on, Eddie holstered it, his gaze finding Oliver’s. “But for what it’s worth, I’ve been a cop for a lot longer than you’ve been a vigilante, and anyone who’s worn a badge will tell you that what you’re doing, it’s _not_ healthy. Good cops find a way to decompress, to punch out of the mindset when they punch out on the clock, so they don’t burn out and take everyone with them.

“Even with you being… well, _you_ , I don’t know you, and I won’t pretend that I do. I can’t know any of the things you might’ve seen or done, or what made you this way. I _do_ know you’ve done a lot of good since you’ve been around, however, vigilante or not. But you’ll never be good for anyone, especially not Barry, if you keep _this_ ,” he waved his hand at Oliver, indicating his entire demeanor, “up. When I’m with Barry, I’m with _him_. And when we’re working, I’m with the Flash. And it goes both ways. I’m not always a cop, just when the city needs me to be. It’s not always so clear cut and sometimes the lines get blurred… doesn’t mean we don’t _try_ . But you? From what I’ve seen, you’re _always_ the Arrow. Even when you’re trying to be Oliver.”

“ _Are you_ sure _he doesn’t know you_?” Felicity said in his ear.

“Stay out of this.” Oliver growled back, chagrined that she’d apparently been listening in the entire time.

“Believe me, I don’t want to be in this.” Eddie said, not knowing Oliver’s words hadn’t been directed at him. “Ex drama is something _no one_ wants. But I’m not stupid. Barry cares about you, even now. And even with the mask and hood, I can tell you still care about him. Just not enough to really do anything about it. And that’s why you lost him.”

There was no smugness to his voice, no subtext of who the better man was in the situation, just cold, hard truth. Eddie didn’t have a vindictive bone in his body and he got no pleasure in having this conversation. He just hated seeing Barry torn up about it, so he was just offering up what knowledge he had, in the hopes Oliver would see how toxic he’d been, intentionally or not, and let Barry go, for both their sake.

After a moment of silence, with Oliver standing there stock still in the empty parking lot, chewing over what had just transpired, Eddie hooked a thumb over his shoulder. “C’mon, let’s get back to it. We got a lot of work to do.”

Jarred from his thoughts, Oliver nodded his head at just how right Eddie was, and just how wrong he'd been. “Yeah… yeah, we do.” He mused, aware now, more than ever, that he still had a long way to go, if he wanted to win Barry back. But nothing worth having was easy, and Barry was _definitely_ worth it. "Let's get to it." Oliver said firmly, to Eddie and to himself.


	3. Running Red

Holding open the door to Jitters to allow a couple to exit, Oliver managed a tight, polite smile as they passed, before heading inside. He quickly scanned the room, taking note of the larger than usual crowd. It had only been a few days since the insanity of the prison break had brought Central City to a standstill, so it stood to reason people were still reeling from it, gathering in public spaces like Jitters to talk to anyone and everyone who had been there, spreading more misinformation than actual facts.

Then again, that was the whole point of gossip, to make each retelling more salacious than the last. Oliver wasn’t a fan of gossip. Not just because most of what had been directed at him was true, but because it left a lasting effect. People still saw him as the out of control playboy who punched cameramen and slept with anything with a pulse, despite how hard he’d tried to dissuade them of the notion since his infamous return to the land of the living. It certainly explained the surprise on people's faces when he revealed to them that he was the Arrow.

And there was quite a lot of chatter about him as Oliver peered through the crowd. He'd been spotted in the city while he was helping Barry, even made the front page of the paper in _both_ cities, a fact Felicity had wasted no time in grousing about when he'd called to check in, mainly because Dig, Thea, and Laurel had done a hell of a job in containing the mayhem in Starling, only for the newspapers to drag him through the mud for leaving to go to Central City.

The crowd in Jitters seemed to believe he was trying to horn in on the Flash's territory, in-between fighting off ghouls, goblins, or aliens.

Spotting Barry and Eddie near the back, he wended his way through the press of bodies filling every corner, catching snippets of conversation as he went. Some of the wilder conspiracy theories had him rolling his eyes and when he finally stopped in front of Barry and Eddie’s table, he let out a world weary sigh.

“Aliens? _Really_?”

Eddie shrugged laconically, not at all surprised at what the rumor mill was producing. “Sounds more reasonable than the mole-people one that was going around earlier.”

Grinning over the rim of his mug, Barry took a sip. “Not even the craziest thing I’ve heard today,” he said, setting his drink down, “which is saying something, considering I used to spend hours on websites dedicated to debunking the _official story_.” He made air quotes with his fingers. “I once got into a debate with someone who swore up and down the president was actually fifty-eight weasels stuffed into a suit.”

Eddie snorted and side-eyed Barry. “And _your_ stance in that debate?”

“… that weasels don’t have the spinal strength required to hold up that much weight.” Barry replied cagily, adamant in avoiding looking either of them in the eye. He knew it was ridiculous, that there were a thousand other, more valid reasons he could have used to refute the claim, but that didn’t mean he wanted them to laugh at him for seeing that one as the reasonable counter-argument.

Instead of delving further down that particular rabbit hole, Oliver placed a hand on Barry’s shoulder, causing him to lift his gaze back up to them once more. “Can we talk?” He asked quietly, tipping his head to the side to indicate he wanted some privacy.

Eddie straightened in his chair, squaring his shoulders and Oliver immediately shook his head to allay any of his worries. “Not that I don’t appreciate your protectiveness, detective, but it’s nothing to worry about. I’m heading back to Starling and I want to… clear the air before I go.”

Deflating a bit, Eddie peered over at Barry and nodded. Not that Barry needed his permission to talk to anyone he wanted to, he wasn’t _that_ kind of boyfriend, but it was more to let him know he was okay with them needing a moment together.

Giving him a small smile, Barry stood up and followed behind Oliver. The place was packed, making a quiet place to talk hard to find, but with the din of chatter, along with the espresso machines whirring away as the staff tried to keep up with demand, it’d be hard for them to be overheard.

When Oliver found a corner he seemed satisfied with, Barry crossed his arms over his chest and leaned against the wall, looking at his ex expectantly. He then realized his posture was incredibly defensive and forced himself to relax.

“So, what’s up?”

Huffing out a breath through his nose, Oliver curled his hands into fists, carefully ordering his thoughts before turning them into words. “I’m not going to lie to you, Barry, because you deserve the truth. You deserve that much, after everything we’ve been through together.”

“Okay… what truth would that be?”

“That I want you back.” Oliver replied, his expression and tone neutral. Before Barry could say anything, Oliver cut him off. “If I said anything else, it’d be a lie. I _do_ want you back, Barry, but I… you were right. I wanted this relationship on my terms, when it was convenient for me, and that wasn’t fair to you.”

“C’mon, Oliver, I went into this with my eyes open. I knew what you were like, how… reticent and secretive you could be, which is pretty much _always_ , but… then again, I didn’t know you’d stoop to stalking me, which is kinda creepy.” The expression on Barry’s face said that it wasn’t _kinda creepy_ , it was _full-blown creepy_ , despite the incredibly odd thrill in a dark, secret part of him, knowing he’d been watched during an intensely private and intimate moment.

Oliver had the good decency to be ashamed of his actions, of how he’d invaded Barry’s privacy like that. “Yeah, I’m not really proud of that.” He murmured, knowing being jilted and knee-deep in jealousy wasn’t really a valid defense. He helped take down the perverted scum that did those sorts of things and now he was just as guilty as they were. “And I’m… _sorry_.”

Barry was surprised his jaw didn’t break the sound barrier with how fast it hit the floor. He couldn’t remember the last time he heard Oliver apologize, assuming he even _had_ , in all the time they’d known each other.

“But Eddie said something to me the other night that-”

“Oh, God, what? Tell me he didn’t gloat about any of this.” Barry didn’t think Eddie had it in him to do something like that, but if he _had_ …

“No, no, the opposite, actually.” Oliver said reassuringly, and Barry visibly deflated. “He said that you two don’t put each other second. That you’ve found a balance, to keep your lives and your work as separate as possible.”

“Easier said than done, but yeah.” There had been times when they’d both gotten caught up in taking down whatever meta was terrorizing the city that week to properly get in a mindset that didn’t revolve around the case, but they always managed to get through it in the end.

“He also said it was the reason I lost you. And he was right. This job… this _life_ … like I said before, it requires sacrifices, but I shouldn’t have put you in the position to be that sacrifice. Or to expect you to accept the fact that you’d always being second.” Sighing, Oliver scrubbed at his beard with a nervous hand. “Being the Arrow came first, at the expense of everything else. And no matter how much I might want you back, that’s not gonna happen until I can learn to be the Arrow _and_ Oliver. Not until I learn that if I want this to be a _real_ relationship, it has to be a two-way street.

“You’ve found a way to balance being the Flash with being Barry, which is something I haven’t been able to do for years. It wasn’t right to only give you _half_ of me and you to be okay with it, simply because we were in the same boat. And I didn’t realize that’s what I’d been doing, not giving you what you needed, to make sure you were happy, until you found someone else, someone who was capable of giving you all that they are, and vice versa.”

He inhaled deeply, centering himself as he peered at Barry with a serious expression. “I failed you, Barry. And like it or not, now I’ve got to deal with the consequences of that failure.” Craning his head around, Oliver peered at Eddie from across the coffee shop. “He’s a good man, and a good cop. It’s obvious you make each other happy, which makes me happy.”

Barry blinked at him in confusion, his head already spinning from the emotional ups and downs of their conversation. “It does? I thought you said-”

“I did say that I want you back and that’s not ever going to change. What needs to change is _me_ , so I can be the man you deserve. You’re important enough to me that I have to work on making you the most important thing in my _whole life_. I was just too blinded by the mission to see you for what you are.”

“Which is…?”

“One of the best things that has _ever_ happened to me. But I took you for granted, just like all the other great things that have happened in my life.” He thought of Laurel, of Sara, of his parents and the wealth and privilege he’d had growing up, of how it had taken being stranded on a desert island to change his childish, petty ways. If that’s what he needed to make himself worthy of Barry, he’d go through it all again, to become a better man for him. “And for how I treated you, I need to make amends. I need to make changes before I can honestly say I want a real relationship with you. And it _will_ happen. I can’t say when, maybe months from now, or years from now but I can say… not today.”

Barry snorted. “Really? Quoting _Game of Thrones_?”

“What?”

“What?”

Oliver narrowed his eyes at startled expression Barry was wearing, before he managed to chuckle, when it dawned on him what he’d meant. “You know I’m not good with the pop culture references.”

Barry had a bad habit of spouting off quotes and factoids from his favorite shows and movies, and though Felicity thought they were hilarious, Oliver didn’t, mainly because his knowledge of such things ended after the Queen’s Gambit sank to the bottom of the North China Sea. Unfortunately, Barry found endless pleasure in teasing him with references, once he’d realized how much they annoyed him.

The expression melted off Barry’s face, morphing into a grin at the inside joke. In that moment, it was just like old times and he remembered how he’d been roped in by what little charms Oliver had. And now he was standing in front of him, promising him that he’d try to make changes, so they could be together. It meant a lot but…

“Yeah, I know. But you know I’m with Eddie now. What makes you think I’d just up and leave him for you?”

“As I was saying…” Oliver continued, smirking at the challenge, “Not today. Or next week, but one day, I’ll be the man, the partner you deserve. And nothing will stand in my way. But for today, you’re with Eddie, and he’s exactly who you need right now. I wish you two all the happiness in the world.”

Barry smiled radiantly at him, truly moved by the sincerity of Oliver’s words. It meant a lot to him, having his blessing, even if it wasn’t something normal people did, getting the blessing of their ex to date someone else. Then again, they were far and away from anything resembling normal.

“But…” Oliver said, pulling Barry from his thoughts. He glanced down at his watch, not wanting to rush things, but knowing he had to get back to Starling soon. Seeing he had plenty of time, Oliver opened his arms for a goodbye hug.

Barry hesitated for a moment, not sure if he should, but then willingly moved in to receive the hug. It was brief and when they broke apart, he arched a brow at Oliver questioningly. “ _But_ …?”

Oliver clapped his shoulder reassuringly, before leaning in to press his lips to Barry’s ear, smirking all the while.

“Watch your back, Flash… _Barry_.” He quickly amended. “I’m coming for you.”


End file.
